The latest news in the affiliation process includes information about Tuality and OHSU's letter of intent, upcoming forums, and details about implementation of the new brand. Read the affiliation update for all the details.

The current policy for privileging licensed independent practitioners in a disaster does not meet Joint Commission Emergency Management standards. Changes are being proposed to the Medical Staff Bylaws and Credentials Procedure Manual to bring the policy into compliance. Read the details of the proposed changes.

Thank you for all of your excellent work so far on the ICD-10 Precyse trainings. As of Aug. 18, 45 percent of providers have completed their training. Please continue to finish the modules this week, as they are due on Aug. 31.

Though not required, additional ICD-10 training is available for you or your office staff, including specialty specific modules. Please review the Precyse catalog and reach out to Robyn Lannigan to have the trainings assigned.

If you have not read this letter from Cort Garrison, CIO, and James Parr, CFO, regarding ICD-9 codes, please do so. Salem Health cannot process ICD-10 order codes until Oct. 1, 2015. If your office has switched over early, please include an ICD-9 code as well.

In future Common Ground newsletters, we will share some industry best practices and tips and tricks for using ICD-10 codes.

A change has been proposed to the Salem Hospital Medical Staff Rules & Regulations relating to treatment orders. The change is being recommended because of the recently revised and approved physician assistant privilege request form. Read the text of the proposed changes.

We are seeing increases in both gonorrhea and early syphilis cases in our community this year.

I wanted to make you aware of a couple of new resources for treating sexually transmitted diseases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the 2015 evidence-based treatment guidelines for sexually transmitted infections in June. The other new resource is a clinician consultation service through the University of Washington STD Prevention Training Center. This online system provides STD clinical consultation services in one to three business days, depending on urgency, to health care providers. Requesting providers only need to complete a short form and indicate the urgency of their consult and their preferred method of contact.

Please share this information with your health care provider network, and thanks for helping us reduce the transmission of communicable diseases in Marion County.

A recent patient wrote a letter to the editor in the Statesman Journal highlighting the positive transformation in patient care at Salem Hospital over the past seven years. Read the letter, from the Aug. 11 edition.

You have the opportunity to earn CME credit during Diversity Week this year, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 16 in Wedel Auditorium. Come enhance your communication and connection skills by hearing from a panel of patients and experts. Read more in the flier, Human Connection - Caring that Heals.